Combine the cornmeal and salt in a bowl. Stir in the boiling water and margarine. The cornmeal will absorb the water and swell up like a sponge.

Stir in the milk and allow the mixture to cool briefly. If it’s too hot then the eggs will scramble and cook when you add them. You don’t want that, so let the mixture cool enough so the eggs won’t cook. When it is cool, beat in the eggs.

Coat a frying pan with cooking spray or a little bit of vegetable oil. Heat it to medium-high. Use 2-tablespoons of batter for each pancake. Drop the batter onto the hot skillet. When the top has bubbles turn the pancake over. Both sides should be lightly browned when the pancake is done. Add more cooking spray or vegetable oil if you need it.

Makes about 24 small pancakes or 4 servings. Serve with applesauce. These are delicate pancakes. They get their name from the old type of frying pan that sat in the fireplace. It had long legs to keep it above the burning coals so it was called a “spider pan” or just a “spider”. These pancakes were traditionally cooked on the spider, over an open fire. I cook them on an iron skillet over my modern electric stove.

Spider cakes are good for breakfast or as the hot bread with lunch or supper.